The battle for New York is set to take place in the quarter finals of the US Open Cup on June 23 when New York Red Bulls welcome New York City FC to the Red Bull Arena. The Hudson River Derby is always something to look forward to for soccer fans on the East Coast and in just nine days it will return to the city.
As the sport grows in stature in the US, it’s getting easier and easier to watch soccer today on tv. There aren’t many games that an MLS fan would like to tune into more. With only three rounds remaining, the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup represents a real shot at silverware for the remaining eight teams, and both NYRB and NYCFC will be desperate to get through to the next round.
In order to do so, they will first have to navigate a derby game with the atmosphere, the pressure and the tenacity it is sure to bring. The New York Red Bulls have won the last two meetings between the two teams and NYCFC haven’t managed a win at the Red Bull Arena since 2017. The odds seem to be in favour of the hosts.
Nevertheless, New York City FC have more reason to be optimistic than ever before, on the back of winning the MLS Cup last season. The relatively new organisation has already done what the much older franchise New York Red Bulls has still never achieved. That has to weigh on the minds of the home players.
However, you can never know what will happen in a derby game. It’s sure to be a fantastic advert for soccer in the New York area and a very difficult one to call, but you might be wondering how you can watch this game at home.
How to watch New York Red Bulls vs NYCFC
The exclusive home of the US Open Cup is ESPN+. The dedicated streaming service of the sports broadcasting giant is the only way to go if you want to watch this epic derby game. The good news is at only $6.99 a month, it’s a real bargain. ESPN+ is available on a multitude of mobile devices including smartphones, tablets, games consoles and more. You can cancel your monthly subscription any time. The service contains coverage of a ton of different sports, including US soccer. This really is the best and only way to catch the New York derby later this month.
Prediction: New York Red Bulls vs NYCFC
Despite having little success in the Hudson River Derby in recent seasons, especially away from home, you have to feel that the current, reigning MLS champions will have enough to pick up the win and advance to the semi finals. With exciting, young American stars like Sean Johnson and James Sands on their roster, they will pose a real threat against a team, especially a New York Red Bulls team in a real downward spiral and without a play-off appearance in three years.
Anything can happen in a derby game but these two franchises seem to be moving in total opposite directions. Our prediction is an away win for the reigning MLS champs, New York City FC.
